PetMed Express Stocks on the Rise

PetMed Express, trading on the Nasdaq as PETS traded with an unusually high volume on Monday. One million shares changed hands for PETS on that day. With a increase in its average daily volume at 4.1 times its average, the stock’s trading was up 33 cents (+3.5%) at $9.62 as of 3:56 p.m. ET on Monday.

The website, TheStreet, rates PetMed Express as a hold. Defined by InvestorWords.com, a hold is to be in possession of or have in one’s portfoilio. PetMed Express has a market cap of $195.2 million and is part of the health care sector and drugs industry. Shares are down 47.8% year to date as of the close of trading on Friday, October 21, 2011.

Doing business as PetMed Express, Inc., 1-800-PetMeds., subsists as a United States based pet pharmacy. Marketing both non-prescription and prescription medications, PetMed Express also makes other health products for dogs and cats available to its consumers. They have a P/E ratio of 11.2, below the average drugs industry P/E ratio of 11.3 and below the S&P 500 P/E ratio of 17.7.

Some of the company’s strengths as indicated by TheStreet.com are its largely solid financial position with reasonable debt levels by most measures and reasonable valuation levels. Countering those strengths, however, are a few PetMed Express weaknesses. These include feeble growth in the company’s earnings per share, deteriorating net income and weak operating cash flow.